diff --git a/src/Search/Comb/Comb.php b/src/Search/Comb/Comb.php
index 6817e01cc27..7e2693f0e5e 100644
--- a/src/Search/Comb/Comb.php
+++ b/src/Search/Comb/Comb.php
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ private function searchOverData($params, $raw_query)
      */
     private function removeDisallowedMatches($params)
     {
-        $disallowed = '#'.implode('|', $params['disallowed']).'#iu';
+        $disallowed = $this->pattern($params['disallowed']);
         $new_data = [];
 
         // this only applies to boolean mode
@@ -740,7 +740,7 @@ private function removeDisallowedMatches($params)
 
                 // check for required, one word at a time so each is a single linear scan
                 foreach ($params['required'] as $word) {
-                    if (! preg_match('#'.$word.'#iu', $record)) {
+                    if (! preg_match($this->pattern([$word]), $record)) {
                         // a required word is missing, we don't want this
                         throw new CombException('');
                     }
@@ -755,6 +755,11 @@ private function removeDisallowedMatches($params)
         return $new_data;
     }
 
+    private function pattern(array $words): string
+    {
+        return '#'.implode('|', array_map(fn (string $word) => preg_quote($word, '#'), $words)).'#iu';
+    }
+
     /**
      * Removes properties that are on the exclusion list.
      *
diff --git a/tests/Search/CombTest.php b/tests/Search/CombTest.php
index 95205b9eb09..4df7a7f01c4 100644
--- a/tests/Search/CombTest.php
+++ b/tests/Search/CombTest.php
@@ -311,6 +311,38 @@ public function it_filters_out_results_with_disallowed_words_where_results_are_a
         $this->assertEquals(['Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup'], collect($results['data'] ?? [])->pluck('data.title')->all());
     }
 
+    #[Test]
+    #[DataProvider('regexMetacharactersProvider')]
+    public function it_treats_regex_metacharacters_in_boolean_words_literally($term, $expected)
+    {
+        $comb = new Comb([
+            ['title' => 'node.js guide'],
+            ['title' => 'nodeXjs guide'],
+            ['title' => 'c++ guide'],
+            ['title' => 'c guide'],
+        ]);
+
+        try {
+            $results = $comb->lookUp($term);
+        } catch (NoResultsFound $e) {
+            $results = [];
+        }
+
+        $this->assertEquals($expected, collect($results['data'] ?? [])->pluck('data.title')->all());
+    }
+
+    public static function regexMetacharactersProvider()
+    {
+        return [
+            'required word with a dot' => ['+node.js', ['node.js guide']],
+            'disallowed word with a dot' => ['guide -node.js', ['nodeXjs guide', 'c++ guide', 'c guide']],
+            'required word with plus signs' => ['+c++', ['c++ guide']],
+            'disallowed word with plus signs' => ['guide -c++', ['node.js guide', 'nodeXjs guide', 'c guide']],
+            'required word with a trailing backslash' => ['+foo\\', []],
+            'disallowed word with a trailing backslash' => ['guide -foo\\', ['node.js guide', 'nodeXjs guide', 'c++ guide', 'c guide']],
+        ];
+    }
+
     #[Test]
     #[DataProvider('requiredWordsProvider')]
     public function it_filters_out_results_without_required_words($term, $expected)